Ephesians 4:32 Meaning — Be Kind, Forgiving One Another

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 gives a short, searching picture of how Christians are to treat each other.

Kind, tenderhearted, forgiving — three qualities that are easy to admire and hard to practise, especially with people who have hurt us. Kindness is active goodwill; tenderheartedness is a soft rather than hardened heart; forgiveness releases the debt owed.

The engine for all of it is the last phrase: even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. We forgive not by working up the feeling but by remembering how much we have been forgiven. The kindness we extend is meant to be a small echo of the vast kindness we have received.